Old Aquantances
by Nikon The Vampire
Summary: Old Friends of Angel drop for a visit. Summer before SEASON 1 of Angel
1. Prologue

Authors Note: Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series belong to Joss Whedon. Therefore I do not make any profit of this.

The story takes place in the summer before Angel Season 1 starts. The same characters you see in Memoirs of a Vampire plague this story.

PROLOGUE

I looked at the dark road in front of me. It seemed to suck me in its deepness. So menacing. So dangerous. The other cars maneuvered dangerously beside me. The drivers seemed to be to boozed to realize the possibility of losing their own life. I shook my head disapprovingly as I turned the car towards the next exit. Soon, the city of angels loomed before me. It seemed to shine in the night. People with dreams came to this town. People with hope of triumph and glory.

I easily guided the car toward an address given by me. It was an underground parking place. The first three levels were packed. Yet the fourth was somewhat empty. I placed the car in a vacant spot and switched the engine off. I stepped outside the car and looked around. Demons walked towards their parked vehicles. Others talked quietly to themselves. They were trying to keep a low profile. I pulled a box of cigarettes from my jacket pocket and pulled one out. I than proceeded to search for my lighter. I panicked. It wasn't in the place it was supposed to be. I checked my pants pockets. There it was. I let out a sigh of relieve.

"Nikon", a female voice called. "You are not smoking are you?"

I spit out the cigarette from my mouth. "Of course not", I said. "I just came out for some fresh air". The other door than opened and Mary stepped out. She walked around the car and put her arms around my waist.

"I don't know why I feel so warm near you", she said.

"I don't know how to take that", I said.

"Take it as you like", she answered with a smile. "The point is that I have your little box". After that she pulled my box of cigarettes from my pockets.

"How did that get in there?" I said trying to lie about the stupid thing. Mary just smiled and threw the box on the floor. She than stepped on it destroying the whole thing. "They were expensive you know", I said.

"I will buy you gum", she said with a smile as she hugged and buried her head on my chest. I stroke her head gently. I loved this girl. "What do we do now?" she asked.


	2. Chapter 1

"How can you trust a demon like that?", I asked Mary as we entered a demon-infested bar.

"He wouldn't lie to a beautiful girl like me", she said, looking around.

"Yes he would", I said. "He just…"

"What?", she asked. "Are you doubting my sleuthing capabilities?"

"Don't start putting words in my mouth", I said.

"There he is", she said all of the sudden pointing at a dark figure sitting at the end of the bar. We walked towards him and sat at beside him.

"Hey kid", Mary said.

Angel lifted his head from his drink and looked at Mary. His face lightened up a little when he saw the gorgeous girl. "Hey", he said hugging her. He than turned to me. "Long time", he said as he gave me a cordial hug.

"You shouldn't drown yourself in that", I said. "It' s bad".

"Like you never drink", he said as he gulped down the alcohol.

I looked at Mary with a sheepish look. "Alright man", I said as I sat beside him and ordered the same drink. "You win".

Mary looked at Angel and me disapprovingly. "You guys never change", she said as she sat on Angel's side.

Angel and I laughed while the mortal woman danced right in front of us. We were pretty out of it at the time. We were in France in the year 1803. The demon in front of me was letting me hang out with him for a while. Of course, I had Mary at my side. His girl was nowhere in sight. This was perfect.

"So the bottom line is…", I started half drunk.

"I love to kill", Angel said as he turned into game mode. The show girl screamed as the vampire grabbed her hurtfully. He bit deep into her neck as she kept on screaming for her life. I sighed as I wrote those last words down. "And you", he continued as he finished his supper, "do not want to admit you are death. You are superior. You are there god with the choice of letting live or die".

I smiled at the words. "I know what you are saying", I said. "I know that feeling. The difference between you and me is that I already crashed and burned with the thought. I am just waiting for you to do the same".

Angel looked at me with rage in his eyes. "You and your slayer-vampire friend just ruined my appetite"

"To bad you can´t torture us to death", I said defiantly. "Like you did with Andrew Landry, among others. See… Mary and I are already dead. See you around".

With the words in place I looked at the body in front of me and walked away. "I will be watching you", I said as I walked out. "When the times come… I will be there to rub it in your face".

The year was 1899 and at the time I had Angel pinned in a dark back alley in London. "How does it feel?", I growled at him. "The screams of pain and sorrow. It is quiet a surprise you are not quiet mad by now". After that I threw him on the other side of the wall. "A 150 years of death come to an end. Do you want me to tell you the tally?".

Angel tried to get away. I grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him towards me. I pulled him up by the scruff of his jacket. "I don't want to hear it", he cried out.

"I don't care", I said. "The total misery that you brought to this world is final. 50,000 thousand deaths. For only one vampire you have been pretty busy. Among those are four slayers, five demon hunters and hundred of children. And if I counted the lives you have ruined, there would not be enough ink to catalog everything".

"Let me die", Angel said pathetically.

"Mercy!", I screamed at him bitterly. "Did you provide it to those who needed it at their time. Why should I, you miserable bastard? ANWSER ME!".

"Nikon", a female voice said behind me. "That is enough. He will pay in due time. And it won't be to you". I turned and saw Mary standing in the alley. I let go of Angel and headed towards her. All I could remember at the time were the stories. The people. I held in the tears that I did not have as she walked towards the cursed vampire. "Angel", she said. "We can help you. Come with us. We can teach you a new path. A path that will lead to your salvation".

Angel turned towards her and hugged her at the waist.


	3. Chapter 2

"You know", Angel said as we walked back to the car lot. "I did not find meaning to my existence until 200 years after the curse was placed".

"At least you found the meaning", Mary said. "Most people spend their entire lives searching for a true meaning of things".

I looked at my car and than towards Angel. "You lead", I said. "We will follow".

"Fine", Angel said.

"It is quiet comfy", Mary said as she put the cooler down on Angel's floor. I followed her motion and put three bags down which were all hers. "If you don't mind Angel", she started. "Nikon will take the floor and I will take the couch".

"I do mind", Angel said with a smile. "You take the bed and I will take the couch".

"What about me?", I asked knowingly.

"Honey", Mary said as she hugged me. "The floor looks great for you. Like old times".

I frowned and looked at Angel. "Do you see my dilemma", I said to him.

"You have no idea how lucky you are", Angel said as he pulled out an extra sheet and threw it at my face. "Whatever you have to say", Angel said, "can obviously wait… so…"

"Fine", Mary said as she kissed him and me a on the cheek. "Good morning boys". Doing that, she headed towards the bed and rapidly curled up.

"Ok", I said as I fumbled with my sheet. "I will see you later".

Angel smiled and laid down on his couch.

I woke up with heat barrier in my face. I looked up and saw Mary floating over Angel's bed within a foot high in the air. She had a yellow glow around her body Angel was sitting in a chair opposite of her. "Since when does she do that", he asked as I stood up.

"I believe it was two years after she was turned", I said as I grabbed a bag of blood form the cooler Mary had brought in. "She would have been 26 years old that day".

"Has her power grown since I last saw her?", Angel asked.

"A little", I said as I gave Angel a drink. He savored the liquid a while and sighed. I went towards one of the bags and pulled out a small tape recorder. I than grabbed a chair and placed it near Angel's. "Shall we get started my friend". Angel nodded as I put the recorder into the session. "We are going to touch topics not pleasant to you", I said. "That includes feelings for the current slayer, your changes form good to evil to good. Your time in hell, which is the most important, and of course, your current status".

Angel agreed to the terms as he closed his eyes and recaptured memories from his life.

I saw Buffy for the first time outside her high school. She was a child. A child asked to grow up like no other. To take responsibility for events beyond her control. I saw she was the right one. Her heart was pure as gold. It had so much love inside. She just… did not know it yet. I saw her being called as well as her first vampire attack. It was something like I have never seen before. A young bird on its wings for the first time. She did pretty well. I always kept myself on the outside. Watched her every minute as she battled darkness.

I also saw her deal with her own personal demons. Her powers were unable to prepare her for the lack of love in her parents relationship. The divorce hit her hard just after she had destroyed Lothos. I lost track of her just as she left L.A.

"How did you find out where she was headed?", I asked as I looked at Mary. She was completely focused on her relaxing exercises to pay attention to us. I than winked at Angel and pulled out a cigarette from my shirt pocket. I lit it and sighed.

Angel smiled. "Whistler informed me a day after she had left L.A.", the vampire said. "I got some money together and left to Sunnydale".

It would be a waste of your time to tell you my feelings for Buffy. The story has reached the far corners of the earth. What people do not know is the sheer emotion that passed through us that terrifying night. And I would like to keep them private if you do not mind.

After that night, I felt the demon inside waking up. He pushed the conscience right out of my dead body. To your disappointment, after the soul left, I do not recollect where it went. All was left was the human mind and the demon inside. The demon remembered what had happened. He felt disgusted with had gone through him. Love. But it was gone. The pain. The emotion. All that he wanted was to cause more pain and destruction. His main goal was to destroy Buffy. She had made him fell the humanity that is in every vampire. She had to pay.

"So you decided to make her suffer in every possible way", I said as I put my cigarette out and pulled another.

"All the things I did in my 100 years where present", Angel said as he pulled the cigarette out of my mouth and inhaled some smoke. "But my punishment was just around the corner".

I remember waking up from a deep sleep. Buffy was right in front of me with sword in hand. I looked at her in fright. I called out her name. She stopped her attack. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. She kissed me and asked to close my eyes. I had no idea what was happening. As the sword went right through my body, I remembered what the demon did. What I had done. Soon I had lost complete sight of her.


	4. Chapter 3

"What was that?", Angel asked as he looked at the ceiling.

I stooped the recording and looked up. I heard someone upstairs. A heart pumping, blood flowing human. His breathing was steady. His footsteps were light. From the breathing and the heart rate, the human was very calm.

I slowly got up and headed towards the elevator while Angel headed towards the staircase. He than signaled me that the individual was making his way down very quietly down the stairs. I slowly walked towards Angel's direction. That was when a shadow appeared before us. Before it could react Angel and I were already upon him. The shadow screamed in surprise and pulled out a large sword from his back. At that moment he was tackled by Angel. I jumped on top to make sure the human did not escape. Than I saw his face. I was surprised to see him here. Angel looked at the man before him and released his grip. "Steve", Angel said dryly.

"It looks like I interrupted a reunion of some sort", the man said as he stood up and picked up his blade. "It hurts no to be invited".

I shook my head and looked at Mary. From the looks of it, only a nuclear explosion could bring her back to reality.

NOTE.

Let me make a parenthesis to explain our knowing of this being.

Steven or "Stefan Sigfried" as many historians know him, is a warrior like no person has ever known. He is in the world for that purpose. To fight against others like him. They are true immortals as I prefer to call them. They are as old as the slayer in mythical sense. They never age and cannot be killed except by cutting of their heads. Once their heads are cut, their power called "quickening" or something like that is inherited to the immortal that took the head. If no immortal cut the head off, the quickening is inherited by the closest one to the victim.

Steven is to date a 400 year old immortal. I met him around the time when he first knew he was an immortal. To that date, I had only met two of his kind. Since their origin is unknown even to them, I just made one mention of these creatures in my entire writings. Other writers are in charge of these guys.

Angel met him a few years after his soul was restored. The guy was ok. But when it came to battle, he took everything seriously. If there was another being besides the slayer and Angel that I trusted, it would be this immortal. Of all the power he had absorbed, only one comes to mind.

I held Mary's hand as we walked on the deck of the luxurious ship. It was a cold night that day. We were over the North Atlantic watching the night sky when Angel approached us. He seemed somewhat worried. "I have a bit of a problem", Angel said.

"What is it?", I asked as we continued our stroll.

"Nothing I can't handle", Angel said as he looked behind his back. "I will see you when we reach America". After those last words were said , he strode away.

"Do you think we should help him?", Mary asked as she looked at her friend walk away.

"He said he will handle it", I said as I hugged the lovely brunette from behind. I slowly started kissing her neck. We than turned our attention to the sea. I heard Mary start humming a soft tune. At that moment I turned my attention on a group of passengers heading our way. That is when I saw him. Steven walked rapidly among the small crowd. He looked worried. His eyes lit up when he saw us.

"There is someone in this ship", Steven said. "He is around 700 years old".

"Where?", I asked. "Do you need help".

"I will meet him in the cargo decks", Steven said. "I need you down there just in case something goes wrong".

"We will be there", Mary said.

"You have nothing for humans in this fridge", Steven said as he searched the ice box. "There is only blood".

"A vampire lives here", I said as I sat down again and grabbed the tape recorder. "What did you expect?"

Angel shook his head disapprovingly as he watched Mary. She slowly came down on top of the bed. She closed her eyes tight and stretched her slender body. She than sniffed the air around her. "Nikon!", she exclaimed as she walked over to me. "You have been smoking". I closed my eyes as she approached me. She got me. She slowly smelled my entire being. "Do not expect me to kiss that filthy mouth of yours". Saying that she walked towards one of her bags and pulled out a towel. She than headed towards the bathroom slamming the door behind her. We all looked at the closed door. Before any of us three guys in the room could say anything, the door opened and out came the female vampire. She walked towards the four hundred year old warrior. She kissed him on the cheek. She than walked back to the bathroom slamming the door again.

Steven smiled as he looked at me. "Someone is going to sleep in the dog house tonight".

I threw the tape recorder at him which he instinctively caught. "Shut your mouth", I said as I slumped down on the chair.

"You know what you need", said Steven as he walked towards me. "You need to get out. Feel free. Enjoy the nightlife with your friends. You work to hard". I frowned as I looked at the immortal. "I mean", Steven continued. "Even Angel agrees with me". Angel was about to say something when Steven walked up to him and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "See".

The bar was crowded that night. A variety of demons were gathered. I still felt bad about Mary. She wasn't to happy when I told her I was going out with the guys. She expects us to talk things out. This has been going on for more than 2000 years. At that moment I gulped down my drink and looked around. Steven and Angel looked at me with mocking eyes. "See", I said. "This is what happens when you are committed to a relationship for more than 2000 years".

"Don't you have breaks?", Steven asked.

I smiled. "We do actually", I said. "Every 200 years".

Angel shook his head disapprovingly. "I am not even going to drop my two cents on the issue".

Steven looked at his friend. "That is why we let you hang around with us kiddo", Steven said. But Angel was not paying attention. He was watching four guys that entered the demon polluted place. They seemed to be together and were heading towards the stools. "What?", Steven asked.

"They are old friends", Angel said. "Wait here".

Steven shrugged and gulped down the glass of beer in front of him. He than looked at me directly in the eyes. "I know you are wondering why I am here?", Steven asked.

"The thought had crossed my mind", I said. "You disappear for almost a hundred years and suddenly here you are. I knew you did not die when the ship sank. And you had enough gained power to make it to America".

"After I reached America", Steven started. "I laid low. And that is when I met this girl. A slayer"

"What!", I asked somewhat amazed. "Who!"

"Her name is Katarina", he said.

"I know no slayer with that name", I said.

"You don't know this slayer", Steven said. "Because she hasn't been born yet".

I looked at him with confused eyes. "Destiny has written our paths", the immortal started. "She is a girl born in Limbo because of numerous factors She is the daughter of another slayer. A powerful one. Her name is…", he looked around and whispered the name in my ear.

I almost spit the drink I had in my mouth. "WHAT!", I yelled.

All of the sudden I heard a grunt. I looked up and saw Angel battling with the four vampires that had entered the establishment. I wanted the conversation to go on. But at that moment Steven shut himself up from me. He pulled out his sword and swung it in deadly arcs. It was like the good old days.


	5. Chapter 4

I slammed the vampire against ship's metal hull, ending my assault with a stake at the heart. The demon turned to dust instantly. I turned back and saw Angel handle very well the vamps at his side. He round housed kicked both of them at the same time. Both fell to the metal floor. He rammed two stakes down their hearts. I looked and saw Steve dispatching two more with his sword. All in all trying to reach his main goal. Roldan. An man that looked in his forties. He was about 600 years old. He had a sword in his hand ready to face his adversary. I slowly walked back towards the entrance where Mary waited. Angel came up to the entrance and joined us as the immortals fought it out. Roldan brought his sword down to form a vertical arc. Steven used his blade to push the danger away and took a few steps back. I saw in his face the great degree of concentration needed in these battles. Roldan's attacks were relentless and Steven worked hard to stop them.

Angel looked at the action and than at us. "I have something to do", he said. "I will see you later".

"Angel", Mary called back. As the vampire turned towards her she smiled. "Be careful", she said. The vampire smiled back and strode away. That was the last we saw of him. A few years later, I established contact via letters. Since he was always moving it was hard for us to stay in touch for a long time. The next time would be seventy years later, in the cities of New York.

I turned my attention back at the fight Roldan kept on his offensive. It seemed to go for hours. All of the sudden the immortal changed tactics. He swung his sword upwards moving Steven's out of the way. He than kicked the hero down with one swift kick. Steven fell hard on the metal plates under him. His sword slipped away. I heard Mary gasp as Roldan lifted his sword ready for the final blow. "You lose", he said coolly.

Mary grabbed hold of my arm and feared the worst. Suddenly, we heard a deafening sound. The ship started to shake and rumble. Mary and I lost our footing just as the right side of the ship burst open. The icy Atlantic started flooding in. Mary and I started climbing upwards as the water level slowly rose. I looked back just in time to see Steven kicked his distracted opponent down. Our friend rapidly made a grab for his sword and brought down hard on Roldan's neck. The lose head floated helplessly on the icy water. Steven knelt down and waited. At that moment I knew the hero had overcome the villain. I urged Mary to keep on climbing the stairs just as the water reached us. At that moment, I knew the rushing water would drown the fire works that were to come. Mary later told me that she saw light come from that cargo room. As electrical. The power had been inherited. And the immortal was now stronger than before.

We now found ourselves walking towards Angel's place. The bartender obviously did not like any action to take place in his bar. We dusted the vamps and were immediately kicked out. Life is like that. You do good in life and somehow you always end up on the floor. I stopped believing in the golden rule a long time ago. Still, I found it my responsibility to do good when every single life form in this miserable world is doing otherwise. I guess that is how I am. And as long I still have the capacity to walk in this cursed earth, I would do the same stupid thing and teach others the same thing.

But that is not the issue. The point is that this immortal friend of mine comes along on my research project and drops a bomb that leaves me powerless to think of anything else. Of course I am not going to open my mouth on this thing. It is too big. I will have to publish it on the given time.

I keep walking along side my friends. That is when I see Angel. He is sniffing out the vamps in this town. I saw him handle the enemy back there. He is determined to bring the vamp population down to a minimum. Is this his way of searching for redemption. It is his choice to make. It is not mine. If he feels that way, let him. The point is to live one day at a time; and at the end of that day, come along and say… "I did good".

"We did good back there", Steven said all pumped up and giving us a huge grin. "It was like the old days. Us against them. The odds against us. Getting into fights you are not sure you can win".

Angel stopped and looked at his friend. "Now you sound like Spike", he said.

"Ah", Steven said shaking his index finger. "The difference is that I love being good. On the other hand, he loves being bad". Angel shook his head just as we passed an alley. All of the sudden he stopped. It was an abrupt stop. At that moment I felt a familiar presence. Something inside. That is when the intoxicating smell reached my senses. From the look on Angel's face, I knew he had felt it to. Slayer's blood. Steven looked at both of us with a smile and walked into the alley. Angel and I followed.

We instantly saw it was a dead end alley. But that is not what intrigued us. Right at the end we saw three vampires. They were stalking a young girl. She looked different though. She had the most intense blue eyes I had ever seen. Her hair was white blonde with red tips. Two streaks of black hair were in the front. She wore a black trench coat that looked so familiar in my mind. The leather black pants and a white shirt that she wore were different in a way I could not explain. Her outfit was completed with black platform boots about 4 inches high. She had a large smile on her face. A smile that could only be matched by Steven's. At that moment I realized the truth. She was Katarina. At that same moment the vampires launched themselves at her. Angel and I were about to interfere when Steven stopped us. "Watch", he said.

The girl without erasing her smile jumped back at the punch that was thrown at her. She grabbed the arm of vamp one and rolled on his back kicking the second one in the face. She than spin kicked the third in the face while twisting the arm of the first. Seeing two vampires down she snapped the first vampire's arm in two. The demon screamed in response to the abuse. She than kneed him in the face and extended her leg to kick an approaching vamp in the head. No sooner had she done that she pulled out a stake from her trench coat and dusted the first vamp. The second and third followed without a fight. The girl slowly wiped herself off and headed towards us. Her smile stretched from ear to ear. That is when it hit me. The name Katarina. It was so familiar. I couldn't believe it as I looked at Angel. The girl had the fighting style of both Angel and Buffy. Could it be? It was not possible. Or was it?

Katarina walked slowly towards me and smiled. "Do I smell good?" she asked.

I vamped out at that moment. I slowly made my way toward her. I turned my attention at Steven and than at Angel. They knew exactly what was going to happen. I looked at the girl just as she pulled out a small knife. She slowly started gutting her own upper forearm. The smile never left her face. "I don't need to remind you", she started. "But be careful".

I grabbed her arm and sunk my fangs in her flesh. She grunted a bit, but the friendly smile never left her face. The blood was what I remembered. The finest wine in the face of this earth. I calculated the flow by the beating of the girls heart. I stopped. I than signaled Angel for a taste. Angel looked at me as if I had gone mad. Steven nudged him, signaling it was ok. Angel slowly walked towards the girl. I smiled at him and handed him the arm. Angel's features changed slowly. He bit on the arm and drank. He needed it. I looked at the girl as she tensed up a bit. Her heart was beating a bit faster now. Angel knew this. He withdraw his fangs. The young girl stumbled on her feet a bit. Angel and I rapidly made a grab for her to keep her stable. She smiled as we held her up. "You guys are so protective", she said weakly. "You never change". She looked at Angel. "It is hard to keep an image of you this young", she said to the good vampire. "Now, the white streaks of your hair change your appearance. You have drank my blood. You will be a bit stronger now. You will need that for what lies ahead".

At that moment, the girl's eyes rolled back. Steven walked up to her and wrapped a white cloth around her open wound. "We need to take her to your place", Steven said looking at Angel.

Angel quietly nodded his head as he picked her up and carried her out of the alley. I assumed he was to confused to say anything. To many questions were popping up to fast. He would have to wait …. as well as me.

"She insisted that you two should drink from her", Steven said. "She didn't tell me why when I asked her. Maybe you can".

Angel walked rapidly with the girl in his arms. "Slayers blood is rare", Angel said. "It has the same properties of normal human blood, but with a kick".

"If a vampire drinks the blood of the slayer", I said as I turned and looked behind my back. "The vampire becomes stronger. Very few know this. That is why only elite vampires go out of their way to kill the slayers".

"What they don't know", Angel said. "Is that only a few ounces of the liquid is needed to carry out the effect. You can drink and not kill".

Steven nodded his head. "So she comes and gives you her blood so you guys can become stronger", Steven said.

"Who is this slayer anyway?", Angel asked looking at my eyes.

At that moment, my mind froze. I looked at Steven for an answer. "She is from the future", Steven answered. "She came to me so that she could locate you and carry out the task". I sensed that Angel knew he wasn't being told everything at the moment. But the vampire was patient so he let it slide. We were almost at his home anyways. We were a few feet away from Angel's flat, when Steven stopped. "Wait!" he said. Angel and I turned around and looked at him. "There is someone inside", Steven said.


	6. Chapter 5

"WHAT!", I exclaimed.

Angel looked at his place gloomily. "This is why I live alone", he said.

"He is waiting for me", Steven said. "He is an immortal".

I grabbed Steven by the shirt and slammed him against the wall. "You brought one of your kind to L.A.!", I exclaimed. "And he is inside with my girl!".

"The guy probably considered her a human", Steven said defending himself. "Angel back me up here".

"When we finish dismantling that guy", Angel said. "I am going to tear you up in little pieces".

"That is not backing me up!", Steven said. "All right than. We go in slowly and with caution. He knows I am here anyway".

"You better pray that Mary is ok", I said as I let go and pushed him towards the dark building.

Steven pulled his sword out from behind his trench coat. I followed with Angel close behind. I heard Katarina stir in Angel's arms. "Dad", she complained. "It is Sunday night. I don't want to go to the cemetery".

I closed my eyes as we kept on walking. We went down the stairs slowly. Without making a noise. If things were not handled correctly, hell was going to break lose. But at that moment, what bothered me the most was the fact that a pure immortal was with my girl. These guys were in the world to fight. Pure warriors. That is what they did. I swear here and now. If the Mary is ok, I swear I will quit smoking. God is my witness.

Steven was about to turn the corner when he stopped. He looked back and waved us to wait. I wanted to kill this guy. He turned around and jumped in the room ready to attack. He suddenly lowered his sword. "What happened here?", he said.

I jumped in as Angel placed the young slayer on the floor. I looked inside and saw Mary bandaging her shoulder. I ran up to her and held her in my arms. "Are you ok?", I asked as I held her in my arms.

"I am ok", she said softly. "And I hope you keep your promise this time".

I smiled at her sheepishly and kissed her softly. I looked around and saw that a large chest on the foot of Angel's bed was destroyed. Some weapons were out of place. A lot of dust covered the floor.

Angel looked at her with a stern look on his face. He had his arms crossed. "I can explain", Mary said as she stood up.

"Go ahead", Angel said.

"Well", Mary started looking at Steven. "A friend of yours came by". As she said this she poked Steven in the chest. "He had five vamps with him. So, I had to take care of them".

"So", Angel concluded. "Things got out of hand and you trashed my place".

"Hey", Mary said looking at the young vampire. "I may be a retired slayer, but the last I heard, things can get out of hand".

"Where is the immortal?", Steven asked as he looked around.

"He is in the bathroom", Mary said as she headed towards the bed and looked under it. "and I confiscated this". Saying that the female vampire pulled out a large sword. I looked at it and guessed it was from the 15th Century. It seemed to be English. Of course, I am not the expert.

Steven grabbed the blade and swung it around a few times. "Did you hurt him?", Steven asked.

Mary grabbed her shoulder and rubbed it a few times. "Right after he cut me with that thing".

I smiled and grabbed my girl from the waist as I kissed her neck. "Good", I said. "And that is just a taste of what is in store for him".

"I second that notion", Steven said as he headed towards the staircase we came from. He than returned with Katarina in his arms. "But first, I need Mary to check her out". The immortal slowly placed the slayer on Angel's bed.

As Mary looked at the girl, Angel, Steven and I headed towards the bathroom. We looked inside and saw a 30 year old man tied up and gagged under the sink. "Do you know him?", Angel asked.

I looked at Steven as we waited for an answer. His jaw tightened as he looked at the enemy. "Yeah", Steven finally said. "I know the guy". He walked back inside the room and looked at his love lying on the bed. "He will die tonight", the immortal said as he looked at Angel. "Can I use your roof?"

Angel looked at him with enquiring eyes. "I hope it gives you enough battle ground", the tortured vampire said.

"It will", Steven said. "It is going to be fast and painful".

"Who is he?", I asked.

"A guy I met a few years ago", Steven said. "He is nothing but a pain".

"Well boys", Mary said joining us. "As I see that your testosterone is reaching it's peak, let me say that the girl is recuperating quickly".

"Good", Steven said. "She is far away from home".

"Who is she anyways?", Mary asked.

"She is a slayer from the future", Angel said as he started cleaning up. "At least that is what your boy here is willing to tell me".´

I looked at Mary in the eyes and signaled her to wave the subject off. All of the sudden the girl groaned. "Dad", she called out weakly. I froze and looked at Steven who looked back at me with a worried look. The girl slowly raised her head and looked around. She smiled when she saw all of us. "You guys look good when you are young".

Angel slowly headed toward the girl. I wanted to stop him. If he found out… If the idea reached his brain. But for some reason… I stood still. The girl grabbed Angel's hand and squeezed it softly. He crouched near her and waited. "Rest", he said as he rubbed her head softly.

"You must know", Katarina said weakly. "There are two sides of the coin. The white and the black. You're part in this plan is so gray. You need to be a pure warrior for good. Your salvation and Redemption are closer than you think".

"What are you talking about?", Angel asked.

"Be good Angel". Katarina said as she slowly closed her eyes and dozed off. "Seek your redemption"

Angel looked at Steven. The immortal shrugged his shoulders. "They are her words", Steven said. "Not mine".

I on the other hand looked at the scene and pulled out a small note pad. The ideas were important. Needed the information for the chronicles. At the time I had found an example in how the world had changed. Good and Evil collided for one common goal. Salvation of this cursed earth. I jotted down the ideas and looked around. My tape recorder was on top Mary's bags. This was the opportunity I needed. Not that the day had not been interesting. But my main goal was not complete. I needed the description of Hell. I headed towards the bags and picked up the instrument. I than looked at Steven. "Let's take your friend upstairs", I said. "I want to see his end".

"Nikon", Mary said. "Don't do this".

"Don't worry hon", I said. "It is not going to be an execution. It is going to be a duel. Steven will not have it any other way"

"You know me to well", Steven said as he looked at Angel. "You coming Angel?"

"Yeah", Angel said as he stood up. "Let's go".


	7. Chapter 6

Angel and I sat down near the roof top entrance while Steven handed the stranger the sword. This was going to be interesting. And I was not referring to the fight. Steven looked at his opponent closely as he stepped back and pulled out a sword of his own. "I never meant to kill your student", Steven said. "He came after me. And he lost his head".

"You have dishonored me", Steven's opponent said. "You have to pay".

"It's your words", Steven said. "Not mine".

The opponent enraged charged our friend with a deadly vertical arc of his blade. Steven side stepped it and lifted his sword for an upward blow. The evil immortal saw it in time and stepped back. The fight was obviously going to last a while so I turned on the tape recorder and looked at Angel. "Tell me what hell was liked", I said. "Finish the story".

Angel looked at me as if I had gone mad. "You serious?", he asked. "Our friend is fighting…".

"And he will win", I concluded. "But I cannot wait anymore. Give me the story".

On those rare occasions Angel smiled as he looked at the battle.

Hell is a strange place. It is hard to describe, yet very simple to explain. Hell is one thing. The absence of good. It is full of misery and sorrow. Pain and suffering. Many people think it is a world filled with red demons and flames. I can say that is not that. It is a world were evil reigns supreme. It is a prison for demons. From where I was, my demon and my soul were considered as one. Another being to torture. The jailers were seven foot gargoyles . They distributed the demons into nine circles. The last was designed specially for humans. Those souls that had been sold to darkness. The others were for demons that you have only seen in your nightmares.

In my circle, the black jagged rocks burned at the bottom and froze on the top. There was no middle. Either you burn or you froze. I was chained to a wall and the jailers destroyed my body, mind and soul. The body was spiked and probed and burnt and frozen and cut and beaten. Every dingle device that would damage the skin that covered me was used.

At the same time my mind was injected with past memories. The damage that I caused. The extension of this. But in none of those was Buffy present. They knew she was the light of my hope. To see her again. Yet, they prevented me from doing so. It took al my power to preserve her memory intact.

As my mind and body deteriorated so did my soul. Slowly it wore me down to a point in which good and bad no longer had a meaning. Good memories disappeared. I lost complete sight of what I was and why I was there. But Buffy remained. The gargoyles tried to rip her away. But they couldn't. Even though the pain was unbearable. I held on to that face in my mind.

And it went on and on and on… for what seemed…. A thousand years.

Steven cut right through his opponents arms with his blade. The evil man screamed in pain as his flesh gushed out blood because of the wound. Even though the battle was amusing, I had more interest in Angel's words.

"So", I said. "Hell is not for humans but for demons".

Angel looked at me with that sly smile of his. "You are older than me", he said. "But I have seen more than you can ever imagine. Humans can be more evil than any demon. Those souls are the ones that are sold to darkness. That is where they end up".

"I see", I said as I turned off the tape recorder. I looked at the fight that was taking place before us. Steven was dominating the battle completely. He was sure of himself at that very moment. His opponent was staggering now. Steven looked at him sadly. He swung his blade horizontally making contact with the neck. The head flew right of the body. The evil man slumped lifelessly on the roof.

Angel and I stared at our friend. A small mist surrounded him. It came from his opponents body. All of the sudden, lightning struck our friend. Electricity started covering him. More bolts fell on him as if he were a conductor. He screamed in pain as the energy he had gained introduced itself into his body. I saw some street lights explode. Than… as abruptly it started, it stopped. Steven fell to his knees and shuddered. He than looked at us and offered a brave smile. "Man what a rush".


	8. Epilogue

A few nights after the immortal incident, we said good bye to Steven and Kat, as she preferred to be called. The young slayer was very quiet with us. He let Steven do most of the talking about their relationship and their life together. I did notice that she had that something which reminded me of her mother. And the way she looked at us and how she kept quiet reminded me of her father. She was a nice kid which shared a lot except about the future. She did not dare talk about what was to come. The way she put it was very simple. "It is not the time yet".

But that was not what bothered me. What bothered me was the link. It was not possible. Their were to many complications for the an event like this to take place. First of all, the girl was seventeen. And from what she told me she had come from the year 2017. Her birthday was in August. That meant she was born in the year 2000. That implied being conceived that year 1999 in October or November. That was a few months away. There was to much to add up. I guess I had to wait on the issue.

We stayed with Angel until the beginning of September. We helped him kill a few vampires and he confessed to me that would be his purpose. I just nodded the subject away. It was his life. If he felt comfortable that way, that was him.

I remember that final night at Angel's. Since we were going to stay in touch we didn't do much. We just talked about ancient stories. Funny anecdotes. I bet the vampire was comfortable with us. At least we lightened his mood.

At the end of the night I boarded my car with my girl and said our final good byes. I was glad the man was fine. It was good to see he was recuperating from losing his soul mate. It was a start. It was better that way. Those were his final words. Even though he twitched when he said them.

As we sped off, those were the only words I could remember. I had visited him to get a story and stay for a day. I ended up with a friend and a month and a half of anecdotes. That was good. At least us cursed vampires were not losing our humanity soon.


End file.
